The present invention relates to sensors and particularly to ultra violet light (UV) detectors. More particularly, the invention relates to detecting UV from various sources of light.
Successful related art UV detectors have been primarily based on highly specialized processes built around “vacuum” tube technology. The physics of such detectors are that the tube of each detector may have a cathode electrode such as tungsten or copper which is the surface from which optically excited electrons are originated, and an anode grid that lets light pass through it but is charged such that it will collect electrons generated by the breakdown instigated by the photoemission of an electron at the cathode surface. The tube may be filled with a neon/hydrogen (Ne/H2) gas mixture to facilitate the breakdown nominally at about 100 Torr residual pressure. Several factors that appear to define and limit device yield and performance may include tube glass cleanliness, gas mixture, plate spacing and gas contamination. These potential causes of problems may be eliminated or minimized with the present invention.